1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cutting devices having flexible cutting elements and more particlarly, to cutting devices having flexible cutting elements composed of a plurality of chain links with cutting teeth disposed in a complete circle around the periphery of the cutting element.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following describes cutting devices now in the market plus previously patented cutting devices in the field of manual and power cutting devices having flexible cutting elements.
A manually operated cutting element similar to the common "chain-saw" cutting chain (used with power driven chain saws) has been recently put on the market by the McCullough company. This cutting chain, however, is not tubular or cylindrical in nature and without the use of guiding element at the point of cutting, the cutting process will break down if the chain is twisted before a deep channel for cutting is created on the tree.
Other manually operated cutting devices fabricated from plurality of chain links which include a plurality of cutting teeth on a single side of the chain are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 325,364 (Shipe); 2,855,724 (Graves); 3,090,159 (Wimeerly), 3,747,652 (Meadows); and 323,602 (Shipe). The chains and cutting elements disclosed in the above recited patents are generally deflectable in a single plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,332 (Dates) discloses a power driven saw which causes a cable having a plurality of cutting elements disposed in a single direction to rotate in a single direction in order to provide a cutting action.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,175,302 (Salee); 789,512 (Waller); and 1,520,422 (Lind) disclose chain saw cutting devices having a cutting chain with teeth disposed in a single direction and plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,749,949 (De La Tramerye) discloses two "thin steel strips", or metal bands, with cutting teeth punched out of one side of the strips, said strips being twisted to form a spiral twisted saw.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,964 (Prusinski) discloses a flexible hand saw with cutting units attached to a cable. The cutting units have a cylindrical shape with a continuous sharp cutting edge around the cylindrical unit. The continuous cutting edge does not allow for particles to escape after being cut and clogs up with only a few uses.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,763 (by the same inventors of this present invention) disclose several flexible cutting elements with cutting teeth disposed around the periphery of the cutting element. Said patent, however, had as the purpose of its specific claims, the cutting apparatus described therein and not specific claims on the cutting elements. Therefore, it is intended by the present patent application, to claim specifically the cutting element designs being disclosed.